Jon Norton Fantasy Portrait - Yves de Contades
Jon Norton, Senior Designer, Southbank Centre:
It's funny being in front of the camera. Uncomfortable really. I'm usually happiest solving problems and directing others to do the same. Anticipating the potential suffering, I simply decided to sit somewhere I'd feel at ease.
The second solution to 'the fear' was to employ the services of my dog.
Always comfortable in front of a camera, Jack (surname not Russell), as any
terrier owner would testify, would happily draw the attention to his activity.
I guess what I wanted to suggest was that it's in this type of scene -
waiting at the entrance to umpteen rabbit holes - that I learned a patience,
a fascination with observation. From studying the smallest of imperfections
on a leaf, or watching an ant carry a fallen comrade through a forest of
grass, to the enormity of the surrounding landscape and shadows
slowly turning on their axis.
It was about learning the importance of looking. From a distance. From close
up. It was this that triggered my love of design and which continues to
inspire me.
Dr Cecilia d'Felice's psychological interpretation:
There is a still calm to this portrait of man with dog on heath that is gentle and thoughtful. It has a timeless unpretentious quality to it, one in which we can identify with the happy companionship of man and dog, taking in the fresh air and having time and space to think.
Jon’s Jack Russell stands guard, surveying the landscape happily as tail wagging scout. The portrait has a retro feel. Jon looks Sting like in repose; gazing afar, stimulated by the view, he becomes panoramic.
The tussocky ground that surrounds him create an impression that life has not always been smooth, but standing aloft he has overcome, intimated by the feet square and strong. A play of sunshine lights up his face creating a golden halo that gives the portrait a magical quality. Nature is important to this man. He finds refuge and inspiration in its seasonal variations and his soul is fed. Relationships too are significant, as exemplified by the terrier, and a warm sense of togetherness pervades.
